Beggar
Beggars are society's outcasts, desperate people with no visible means of support. They are drawn to the town and cities of the Old World, for the only way they can keep themselves from starving is to beg in the streets. This is a hazardous business, since most Old World towns allow the Town Watch to beat, brand, and throw vagabonds into the stocks almost as they please. The Beggar accepts these risks as an occupational hazard and often becomes highly skilled in the art of extracting money from passers-by; some play on pity, while others offer blessings or threaten curses in order to fill their begging-bowls. In some of the larger cities, the Beggars have organized themselves into a semi-legitimate Beggars' Guild, which deals with the allocation of pitches, the diverting of official attention, and the suppression of amateur or non-affiliated Beggars. In many cases, the Beggars' Guilds work in conjunction with the local Thieves' Guild, serving as information-gatherers and lookouts. Like Thieves, Beggars have developed a number of different techniques for surviving on the streets. All beginning characters who roll Beggar as their career start off as general Beggars. Beggars may elect to become a specialised beggar on completion of their basic career, in addition to the other available career exits. As the name suggests, Loons feign madness. Without warning, they can launch into a raving outburst, drop to the ground foaming at the mouth, or exhibit any number of bizarre behaviours. Loons frequently work in partnership with pickpockets, attracting a crowd and distracting prospective victims with a staged fit or outburst. Posts pretend to be deaf and dumb. Through great concentration, they are able to ignore sudden loud noises and to give the impression of not hearing anything, when in fact their hearing is perfectly normal. They are frequently in demand as spies and lookouts and often come into possession of saleable information. Stumpers feign crippling injuries, such as the loss of a limb. Many will claim to have been wounded in military service, especially when begging from a military-looking individual. The best Stumpers are amazingly supple and can bend a lower leg, arm, or hand behind themselves in such a way that, when bound up with bandages, it looks convincingly like an amputation. Spotties are beggars who pretend to have diseases in order to gain the sympathy of potential donors. Using crude make-up kits and rudimentary medical knowledge, they whiten or redden their skins, add scars, pustules, and blemishes, and do whatever else is necessary to make themselves look like disease victims. Most Spotties specialise in a single disease and can become as knowledgeable about its symptoms as the average Physician. The choice of disease is crucial; it should always be something disfiguring but not too contagious, enough to gain sympathy without arousing revulsion or fear. Skills *Begging *Concealment: Urban *Secret Language: Thieves' Tongue *Secret Signs: Thieves' Signs *Silent Move: Urban *25% chance of Consume Alcohol Trappings *Begging bowl *Tattered clothes *Heavy stick *Bottle of rotgut spirit Career Exits *Specialised Beggar *Bodyguard *Informer *Racketeer *Rat Catcher Category:Careers Category:Rules